RED SOX NOTEBOOK: Long ball leads to wins

Thursday

Aug 23, 2018 at 3:57 PM

The Sox are 71-17 in games where they hit home runs.

BOSTON -- Hitting home runs and winning games seem to go hand-in-hand for the Red Sox this season.

Boston bashed three round-trippers on Wednesday in a 10-4 romp past Cleveland, breaking out after being kept within the confines of Fenway Park through the first two contests of the series. Xander Bogaerts smacked a pair of solo shots and Mitch Moreland yanked a two-run bullet into the visiting bullpen in right field, helping the Red Sox snap a three-game losing streak.

“One mistake, you hit it out of the ballpark and we’re right there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That’s good to have.”

The Red Sox improved to 71-17 when they go deep, significantly better than the 18-22 mark they sported in 40 games when they failed to clear the fences. Boston cracked 172 homers through its first 128 games, trailing only the Yankees (202) and Indians (175) in the American League. The Red Sox were last in the league in round-trippers a year ago, totaling just 168.

“It feels like you are always in the game,” Cora said. “Game one against these guys (a 5-4 loss) it feels like we were one swing away from winning the game. Then game two (a 6-3 defeat) we were one swing away from making it interesting after the error by (second baseman Jason Kipnis). It feels that way.”

Dropping J.D. Martinez into the middle of the Boston lineup has had a significant impact. The free agent slugger entered Wednesday with 38 home runs, tied with Oakland’s Khris Davis for the Major League lead. Martinez is an adherent to the launch angle school of thought spreading through modern hitting, with batters crafting their swings to put the ball in the air. Cora said it’s not a team-wide philosophy, but former peers from his own playing career like Carlos Delgado have told Cora that was certainly their intent long before it became fashionable.

“For us it’s more about looking in the middle of the plate,” Cora said. “If you get a pitch to hit, do damage with it. I think that’s more our philosophy.”

Call to the pen: Cora explained a pair of his Wednesday bullpen decisions a little further in depth during his pregame media session the following morning.

Heath Hembree and Matt Barnes entered the 10-4 victory over Cleveland and what seemed like unusual times, with Hembree called to relieve Brian Johnson with one out in the fifth inning and Barnes starting the seventh. That’s one frame before each right-hander has typically been used throughout this season.

Cora summoned Hembree to face Jose Ramirez with a man on in a 6-2 game. Edwin Encarnacion loomed on deck, carrying four hits and three career home runs against Hembree in nine at-bats. The Indians’ first baseman wound up cracking his second two-run homer of the night to halve the Boston lead, but Hembree did retire Ramirez in front to prevent it from becoming a one-run game.

“I know the numbers don’t back me up, but at that moment it was a better matchup with Heath throwing 97, 98 than with (Johnson) going the third time around,” Cora said. “So we decided to bring him for Ramirez to get him out, and then he has margin for error. If I wait for Encarnacion, then we’ll be in trouble.”

Cora had Barnes warming earlier in the series for Cleveland leadoff man Francisco Lindor, and he was due second in the seventh on Wednesday in an 8-4 game. Barnes worked a clean 1-2-3 inning, including a weak tapper back to the mound by the shortstop. Joe Kelly pitched the eighth inning with a five-run lead, a role normally reserved for Barnes when setting up closer Craig Kimbrel.

“The top three for them is what gets them going,” Cora said. “Francisco, his energy, he gets on second and you see him clapping and putting his hands up and all that. Ramirez is the same way. And they go the way they’re going.”

Around the bases: Steven Wright (left knee inflammation) will throw two innings in a simulated game Friday at Tropicana Field where the Sox will open a weekend series against the Rays. The knuckleballer has been on the disabled list since late June. … Chris Sale (left shoulder inflammation) will also travel with the team to Tampa. The left-hander has yet to resume throwing, but is going through strength and conditioning. … Eduardo Rodriguez (right ankle sprain) and Christian Vazquez (fractured right pinkie) are now expected to form the battery for Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday night at Buffalo. The left-handed pitcher and catcher were initially expected to report to Double-A Portland.

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